Warmth
by leafyaki
Summary: You ever want to complain about your Walker or your Kanda you could always come to me too, yeah? Emilia/Lenalee, also suitable for people looking for friendship/gen fics.


**Title**: Warmth

**Pairing**: Emilia/Lenalee

**Prompt**: Emilia is complaining about life in the Black Order and the guys there. Lenalee tries to show her that things aren't that bad.

**Summary**: Emilia seeks a conversation partner, and Lenalee imagines Allen's horror if she ran up to him asking about clothes.

**Notes**: I've never written so much dialogue before. Maybe it's a girl thing, that they talk a lot? Hmm. Anyway, enjoy! (: Written for kalium_kx at livejournal.

**Word Count**: 987 words

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"…and then, that Michael actually had the nerve to ask if I had the hots for Timothy! Would you believe that!" Emilia complained loudly.

"Well, Michael has always been like that, but he doesn't mean any harm, really," Lenalee put in calmly, cupping her hands around the warm mug of tea.

"Seriously, I thought, and I told papa, that the worst I would have to deal with are guys hitting on me or something. But no, the guys here are far worse than that! What's the deal with them being scared of me, or, or, I don't know, not having the guts to strike up a conversation! And those that do, they have completely no idea what to talk about! Lenalee, I'm telling you, John was talking about the weather. The weather, for god's sake. What else can I say, 'England is a godforsaken dreary country, now can we please move on?'" Emilia huffed, stirring her tea with vigour, the liquid almost sloshing out over the sides of the mug.

Lenalee suppressed her laughter valiantly, nodding at Emilia, knowing that she needed to get things off her chest, or poor Timothy would have to bear the brunt of her increasing his tutoring hours, in addition to General Nine's training, and trying to escape Tiedoll's fatherly hugs all at the same time.

"Lenalee, I don't know how you stand it here," Emilia sighed, her volume finally lowering, her tone turning from anger to bemusement. "It's, well, it's hard to find someone here to talk to about things other than the war, the Millennium Earl, the Noahs, the akuma…Timothy, he's a precocious kid and all, but he's still a kid, and General Nine needs to train him, so I understand that. But you Exorcists, you are all so high strung, and the Scientists keep working and working on I have no idea what, and the Finders, gah, they can be nice but they can be so boring sometimes, and…"

Emilia looked down, shame covering her face. Lenalee stirred her tea slowly. "And they die too fast, far too fast," Lenalee whispered.

Emilia took up her tea and drank it quickly, looking away from Lenalee's despondent face.

"…I'm sorry, Lenalee, I know you have more things to do than to listen to me, going on and on like this," Emilia said softly, smiling weakly.

"No, no," Lenalee said in protest, smiling back at her warmly, shaking her head to both reassure Emilia and to bring herself back from the coffin-lined room, so full of despair. "Miranda, she has been out training recently, so it's nice to have a girl to talk to about boys," she said, laughing lightly at the end.

Emilia chuckled. "You ever want to complain about your Walker or your Kanda you could always come to me too, yeah? Or if you ever need help with your clothes. I can't imagine either of them knowing a single scrap about fashion." Lenalee laughed louder at that, imagining the horror that would be etched on both boys' faces if she ever ran to them asking which of her pairs of shoes fit her clothes better, now that her Innocence are just bangles around her feet. More freedom to choose what to wear, and she's at a loss.

"Honestly though, Emilia, it really isn't that bad," Lenalee said gently, chuckling at the look of skepticism on her face.

"People here…we are all worried about the war, that's true. And sometimes, the war is all that people talk about, and that gets so tiring, after a while. Brother, he's so worn out and I don't know how I can help him…" Lenalee closed her eyes, and felt Emilia grasp her hands warmly, offering silent comfort.

"But, you were here too, weren't you, when we welcomed Timothy into the Order?" Lenalee asked. Emilia nodded, remembering the balloons, the banners, the huge cake that Jeryy prepared and the mountains upon mountains of food, and Timothy ecstatic among it all, even while he hid tears of gratitude, everybody laughing and passing them cups of drinks. "We really do think of everyone as family, Emilia. Timothy, you should hear how worried everyone is about him, such a young Exorcist."

It was silent for a while, as Emilia quietly took in her words. "He _is_ young, isn't he?" Emilia said softly, looking down at their clasped hands.

"Yes…and I've seen you, you are fond of Michael and John, aren't you?" Lenalee said, smiling cheekily. "You sit with them and Timothy every morning at breakfast, don't you? And," she said insistently when Emilia's face reddened, her mouth opening in protest, "you are always so worried whenever they have to go on missions, aren't you?"

"That's! Well, I mean, I'm worried if anyone goes on missions, I'm worried about you too!" Emilia said, spluttering slightly.

Lenalee laughed. "I know, I know. And see? It's not so bad, really. If you're ever tired, and you feel cooped up, and Timothy is driving you nuts…you can just come find me to talk to. Can't you? Or am I not a friend to you?" Lenalee teased, smiling gently at the end.

Emilia's face reddened even further as Lenalee looked at her with complete sincerity. She glanced at their clasped hands and her face softened, eyes crinkling at the corners as she thought back to how isolated she had been with her father, much as she loved him and the orphanage. Now they would be taken care of, and here, she could take care of Timothy, and she had friends her own age, she could try to lead her own life…

"Yes," she said quietly, tightening her grip on Lenalee's hands. Lenalee's soft smile turned into a happy grin as she squeezed her hands back.

"Yes, I suppose I can," Emilia said softly, smiling back at Lenalee. And really, that was all she needed, the reassurance and warm smile of a friend.

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Comments and reviews highly appreciated (:


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